Name: The Long Walk
Rating: 3.917910447761194 (201 reviews)

Stephen King

Richard Bachman

In a futuristic America ruled by ultraconservatives, one hundred of the nation's hardiest boys must endure a five-hundred-mile marathon race known as the Long Walk, a lethal contest of determination and endurance in which each tortured step becomes a harrowing struggle for survival, in order to win fame and fortune. Reissue.

The Long Walk

#1 Bestseller Writing as Richard Bachman With an Introduction by the Author "The Importance of Being Bachman"

Julie Strietelmeier

Midveil

As an ultra runner who has read most of Stephen King’s pre-1990 work, I’m mad it took me so long to read this grisly delight. Liked: The premise of the Long Walk and the narrator Ray; the dystopian angle that hints at alternate history; mentions of Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury; all the questioning of the meaning of life; the dynamics between the walkers, the soldiers who were monitoring and executing them, and the crowd (“Crowd”) for whom the Long Walk is a national pastime. Did not like: The story lags in the middle; some of the dialogue is cringey and unrealistic; I call bullshit that not one kid experiences chafing until around mile 250. If you walk more than 100 miles in wet blue jeans, I think chafing would cause many boys to “buy their ticket”; Also the dialogue between the boys is extremely articulate and witty considering the circumstances. And all the horniness is questionable.

Greg Talbot

For a simple premise, Bachman (Stephen King), makes a riveting story about a group of boys walking. It's easy to approach, and like all of King's work, it's accessible, and provoking those raw human impulses of fear, unease and dread. Reminding me of "Ender's Game", the story about children as instruments for battle, and the madness of adult society, the Long Walk darkly colors the hopes and desires of young people in a darwinian game of survival. The book is thought-provoking, but also such a large analogy, that it's easy to find whatever your looking for in the story. It's an atypical King book, direct, progressivelyb bleak, and feels very personal. For a book that doesn't take a lot of chances with plot, it still was very provacotive, and felt authentically human. Reading this on my e-reader, and felt my own little reading walk going along, interrupted only by the occasional meal or bathroom break. Great King, good book, homerun ending though.

In this #1 national bestseller, “master storyteller” (Houston Chronicle) Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman, tells the tale of the contestants of a grueling walking competition where there can only be one winner—the one that survives. In the near future, when America has become a police state, one hundred boys are selected to enter an annual contest where the winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Among them is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty, and he knows the rules—keep a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you’re out—permanently. With an introduction by Stephen King on “The Importance of Being Bachman.”

Very good, gripping. Could have used a bit more of an ending, it ended so abruptly. but i guess that was the point

Mikhail Sumygin

Hernán Sabaté Vargas;

La larga marcha

Si bien el final no fue ni favorito y siento que a la hora del clímax puede llámese a sentir un poco corto, el trayecto que nos lleva a él me parece tan bueno y bien hecho, una premisa en principio tan simple muestra la naturaleza humana perfectamente , el final yo lo contemplo como una metáfora de el capitalismo y la sobre productividad, vemos que garraty consigue ganar , en lugar de celebrar, parar o cualquier cosa sigue caminando, sin importar sus lesiones físicas y mentales el ve una sombra negra que para mí es su ambición de conseguir algo más sin siquiera detenerse a contemplar que acaba de hacer , cuantos no hemos sido así seguimos sin importar que hayamos conseguido en la búsqueda insaciable de conseguir más 

Tilin insano 

Read this after the movie and audiobook. Great concept, kind of the Hunger Games before the Hunger Games. 

The actual plot was perfectly dystopian, and the various descents into madness were enthralling. However…someone really needs to get Stephen King into therapy. Why was this so sexual?

Nik ✨

My first experience with King (outside of The Dark Tower). A darkly philosophical page turner. I loved that the subtle differences in history compared to our world are mentioned offhandedly, rather than being explained. Ultimately these details are unnecessary, serving only to create a richer universe.

Simon Crocker

In an ultraconservative America of the not-too-distant future when America has become a police state, the annual marathon is the ultimate sports competition. One hundred boys are selected each year to enter a grueling 450-mile marathon walk. The game is simple: maintain a steady walking pace of four miles per hour without stopping. Three warnings and you're out--permanently. The winner will be awarded whatever he wants for the rest of his life; but a single misstep could be the last.

a novel

The long walk

Zachary Roberts

Jillian Roberts

Considering the negative reviews, I thought I'd give it a go anyway, I wanted to get it read before the film comes out. I couldn't put it down, loved it. The only downside is the lack of back story. 

Charlie Harris 

Meh not a fan of it, to long to repetitive, there isn’t much characters development even the main character..the end didn’t satisfy me but I like how we can interpret it as we want to 

Eva mores 

book kinda slowed down in the middle & wasn’t perfect, but I rly liked the concept + the idea of the long walk being a metaphor for war and the spectacle of it all. beautifully done w a lot of heart 

tanya 

Todesmarsch. Roman.

Justin Staack

tori 👻

** spoiler alert **
           3.5

So, here's the thing: I feel like i've been reading SK my entire life. I really enjoyed The Long Walk, I really did.

I know this book was published in 79 but I can't just close my eyes to the problematic writing around many topics. I was going to give it 4 stars but decided against it for this reason.

Also was that dark figure just a metaphor or was it maybe Randall Flagg?

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

"La larga marcha" de Stephen King es un impresionante relato distópico que lleva a los lectores a un viaje angustiante y emocional a través de una competencia brutal y despiadada. Publicada bajo el seudónimo de Richard Bachman, esta novela es un poderoso examen de la naturaleza humana, el poder y la resistencia.

La trama sigue a un grupo de jóvenes que participan en un evento conocido como "La larga marcha", una competencia a pie en la que los concursantes deben caminar sin parar hasta que solo quede uno en pie. El premio para el ganador es todo lo que desee para el resto de su vida, mientras que los perdedores enfrentan un destino incierto y sombrío. A lo largo de la marcha, los competidores luchan contra la fatiga, el hambre, el frío y la desesperación, mientras son observados y controlados de cerca por el gobierno.

King crea un mundo oscuro y opresivo que atrapa al lector desde el principio. Su prosa hábil y su capacidad para construir suspense mantienen la tensión en aumento a medida que la marcha avanza y los participantes enfrentan desafíos cada vez más difíciles. La narrativa está llena de momentos impactantes y giros inesperados que mantienen al lector en vilo hasta el final.

Uno de los aspectos más destacados de la novela es el desarrollo de los personajes, especialmente del protagonista, Ray Garraty. A medida que la marcha progresa, los concursantes revelan sus verdaderas personalidades y motivaciones, lo que lleva a reflexiones profundas sobre la moralidad, la amistad y la supervivencia. Garraty, en particular, es un personaje complejo cuya lucha interna y determinación lo convierten en un héroe memorable y conmovedor.

Además, "La larga marcha" aborda temas atemporales como el poder, el sacrificio y la crueldad humana. King utiliza la premisa de la competencia como una metáfora para explorar la naturaleza destructiva de la violencia y la obsesión por el poder, así como la capacidad del ser humano para resistir incluso en las circunstancias más desesperadas.

En resumen, "La larga marcha" es una obra maestra del suspense y la especulación distópica que cautiva al lector con su narrativa absorbente y su profunda exploración de la condición humana. Es una lectura emocionante y provocativa que deja una impresión duradera y sigue siendo relevante décadas después de su publicación.

Sarah Sammis

This book reminded me a great deal of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon minus the hinted at supernatural angle. The story was a quick and compelling read albeit somewhat predictable. I wish King had dropped more hints at the events that had lead to creation of the Long Walk. He gave enough detail to show that he must have had a fuller idea of his world and its backstory and I want in on that knowledge!

maitha mana

Sunny

My third attempt at a Stephen King book and I just felt like the whole thing was just "this is okay".

Nate Niederkorn

Lisa-Maria Hofmann

This was a very meditative read. Had great satirical value after one year people telling me I should go for a walk to stay sane.

felt like a waste of 11 hours, i was interested in the lore of the concept, but it was barely touched on, 11 hours of uninteresting characters being uninteresting with minimal emotional impact. makes sense that king wrote this in his bachman era, very life is awful what’s the point vibes

cedar winslow

Derek Graf

There wasn't a whole lot going on in this one. I love King, but I don't think this is his strongest work. There isn't really any worldbuilding, and there isn't a whole lot of character work going on. It's just people walking and talking a bit, but especially after coming from The Stand, it kind of didn't do a lot for me.

The Long Walk

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